


The Box Step

by BeaBee_7



Series: Various RWBY Ship Drabbles [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:27:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23680801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeaBee_7/pseuds/BeaBee_7
Summary: After hearing Neptune rejected her due to being embarrassed about not knowing how to dance, Weiss offered to teach him.*Takes place during the Beacon Dance.
Relationships: Weiss Schnee/Neptune Vasilias
Series: Various RWBY Ship Drabbles [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1705207
Kudos: 10





	The Box Step

Neptune rubbed the back of his head, unsure as he followed Weiss to an empty courtyard some yards away from the dance hall where all of their friends and classmates were enjoying themselves. “I’m not too sure about this,” he said.

“Oh, it will be fine,” Weiss waved off his concern as they made their way to a secluded area surrounded by tall columns and large trees. The night was lukewarm and slightly humid, hinting at the start of summer. The first flocks of fireflies were beginning to emerge, gliding softly around the courtyard here and there. The moonlight fell on them, highlighting their faces to each other in a dim glow. “It’ll be a short lesson,” she reasoned, “if you still want one.”

“I do but…I didn’t mean now.”

“Why not now?” She smiled smugly, “we’re already dressed for the occasion.”

“What if I step on you?”

“Then don’t,” she said as if that was all it took, “but if you do, you can make it up to me by buying me one cup of coffee per misstep.”

“Um…every single one?”

“Yes.”

“That might be a lot of coffee,” he chuckled. 

“I don’t mind.”

Neptune exhaled, feeling more at eased and met Weiss at the center of the courtyard. He really thought she looked lovely in her dress, otherworldly one moment but then ethereal in another. When he took his chance with her at the library some days ago, not thinking much of it, he didn’t think she would reciprocate his advances. Honestly, most girls didn't but to his surprise she did. She even surprised him again when she asked him out, taking the initiative that he hesitated to take. It was a date he was willing to accept however was too embarrassed to accept. 

Weiss was regal and elegant. Probably an amazing dancer. He didn’t want to ruin his chances with her by having her be a witness to him dancing like a buffoon. Not only that, but he also didn’t want to embarrass her. People making comments towards him was one thing but towards her? He couldn't stomach it. Thus, not wanting to ruin that chance, he turned her down, thinking he would make it up to her later, hopefully, if she was still interested in him. Then again, she was probably too good for him anyway. He recently learned she was a Schnee, heiress to the richest dust monopoly in the world, and he was just some average guy, with above-average looks mind you, from Mistral. He was glad Jaune helped him get his head out of his ass. If Jaune didn’t, Neptune would have missed this moment with her.

Whatever this moment was. 

“Okay, so I’ll be teaching you the box step. The most basic and fundamental step of all ballroom dances,” Weiss explained, “and it just involves moving our feet in a square.”

“Sounds…too easy.”

Weiss grinned, “Because it is. Now, watch my feet.” Weiss started with her feet together, moving her left leg forward in a small step, shifting her weight on that foot and then bringing her right foot up with a gap in between before shifting her weight to her right foot and then bringing her left foot to the right. Then, she repeated it but backward. “It’s forward, slide, together. Then, backward, slide together.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes, that’s it.” Weiss grabbed his hands, keeping their bodies arm length apart, “so, now you’re going to try it.”

“Okay?” He was nervous but listened to Weiss as she repeated the steps out loud to him and they slowly completed the first sequence. They repeated this until he got comfortable, then they matched it to the far off beat of music coming from the dance hall. 

“Ready for the turns?”

“Turns?” Neptune paled slightly. 

Weiss nodded confidently, an excited sparkle in her eyes. “Yes. I promise it’s simple. It’s the same steps, but our bodies will just rotate slightly to the left slowly. We won’t do a complete turn in a single step, however.”

“So, just a slow lean?”

“Correct.”

Neptune exhaled, still feeling small waves of jitteriness go through him, but found the beat of the music and led them into a small turn. He watched his feet for the first few turns, not wanting to step on her dainty feet. When they made a complete circle, he shifted his gaze back to her face with a grin as they slowly danced in careful circles. 

“Ready for the last lesson?” she asked after she felt he got the flow. 

“Sure,” he felt slightly more confident now, realizing that dancing wasn’t hard just something new and foreign to him, and most importantly, it was nice. 

“Formally, your hand will go here while I hold on to your upper arm,” Weiss grabbed his hand and placed it on her upper back, “and the other one will hold mine.”

“Got it,” he grabbed her hand and waited for her to continue.

“And they will be high in this position,” she shifted their arms up, horizontal to the ground, to get in the proper position. “But as you can imagine, it does get a bit tiring.”

“How about the informal way, then?” He asked, liking the shy glance she made away from his face, the tad of pink on her cheeks. 

“Well, all it takes to do that is to lower our arms, your hand – or both hands – can go to my waist and I’ll hold on to your shoulders.”

“So like this?” Both of his hands, large and warm, settled on her waist comfortably, “this good?” 

He made her heart jump to her throat. “Yes,” she said after a pause, taking a step closer to him. The space between them was so small and far more intimate than she ever had experienced before with a dancing partner. It was welcoming, however. “I’m going to shift a little to your right that way our feet don’t bump into each other. Now, you can start moving.”

Neptune straightened his spine, noticing not for the first time how short she was even with heels. She barely reached his shoulders and, despite being so small, she had a large presence that demanded attention. He took a small step forward, making her take a step back, and did the simple box step with her. Having her closer now, however, gave him the chance to catch the small details he missed before like how clean and shallow her scar was, her lashes being very long, and the upturned peak of her nose. She smelled of floras and a walk through the woods, strangely enough. A little sweet, too, like a hint of creamed vanilla. 

“Your perfume,” he said suddenly. 

“What of it?”

“It smells nice.”

“Oh? Thank you,” she tilted her head slightly with a soft smile. 

“Now I can tell everyone back home what a snow angel smells like.”

Weiss rolled her eyes in good nature, shaking her head but her smile was still there, “I like your cologne as well. It reminds me of the sea.”

He tensed for a moment, not wanting her to find out about his fear of the deep blue abyss that was the sea, but he could not fault her. His cologne, according to the sale associate, had hints of palm leaves, mandarin, and seawater. It was called literally called ‘Summertime Blues.’ The irony of hating the ocean but loving the beach. 

“Are you okay, Neptune?”

“I’m good!” His voice cracked and he quickly cleared his throat, accidentally bumping into her and messing up their rhythm, “Ah! Sorry.”

She watched him with a lifted brow, “no worries. See, we’re already back in step. So…what do you think?”

“Of what?”

“Dancing,” Weiss clarified, “I hope you feel at least a bit more confident now.”

“I do actually. This isn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Thanks.”

“You’re quite welcome.”

“I know I didn’t actually step on you, but...you think me bumping into you qualifies for one coffee?”

She reached to fix a strand of his hair as they continued with their slow circling around the courtyard, “Hm, I would count it.”

"It's a date then."


End file.
